HIGH COURT UPHOLDS ACQUITTAL OF INSURANCE TRAINING CONSULTANT ON CHARGES OF CHEATING, MONEY LAUNDERING INVOLVING OVER RM1.8 MILLION

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 (Bernama) -- The High Court here today upheld the acquittal of an insurance training consultant trainer on a charge of cheating and 25 counts of money laundering involving more than RM1.8 million.

Judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin made the ruling after dismissing the prosecution’s appeal to set aside the March 10, 2023, decision of the Sessions Court which acquitted and discharged Zuriati Mohamed Yusoff, 51, of the charges.

In delivering the summary judgment, the judge stated that Zuriati's defence — claiming the RM1,849,719.75 was not for purchasing the complainant’s insurance policy (SP5), but instead was repayment for funds advanced by her husband (SP6) in a gold trading venture as instructed by SP1 (SP5’s financial advisor) — had successfully raised reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case.

“The prosecution failed to prove that the respondent (Zuriati) had deceived SP5. Therefore, the prosecution failed to prove the predicate offence (deception) involved,” he said, adding that since there was no predicate offence, the money couldn't be the result of illegal activities.

He said the commission of the illegal activities was also not proven during the proceeding.

“There is no sufficient reason for this court to disturb the trial judge’s decision to acquit and discharge the respondent at the end of the trial. Therefore, the public prosecutor’s appeal is dismissed and the trial judge’s decision is upheld,” he said.

Zuriati was charged with cheating a man by deceiving him into purchasing six non-existent insurance policies, prompting the victim to give her  RM1,849,719.75 at a premises in Jalan Raja Chulan here, on May 21, 2018.

The charge was framed under Section 420 of the Penal Code which provides imprisonment for up to 10 years with whipping and may be fined if convicted.

For the money laundering offence, Zuriati was the woman, as a former director of Millionaire Synergy Sdn Bhd, is charged with receiving money totalling RM1,849,719.75,   believed to be from ill-gotten gains, which was deposited in the company’s current account on May 21, 2018.

On the second to the fourth charge, she was alleged to have used between RM20,000 and RM90,000 in four cheques issued by the company as payment for herself and another individual.

For the remaining 20 charges, Zuriati was charged with transferring between RM10,000 and RM435,080 from the company’s account into the savings and current accounts belonging to herself, a company and 17 individuals.

All the offences were allegedly committed between May 21 and July 6, 2018, and a bank in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya.

The charges were framed under Section  4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds from Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA).

Deputy Public Prosecutor Halijah Mohd Khalidb appeared for the prosecution while lawyer Nur Shafiqa Balqish Jaffri represented Zuriati.

-- BERNAMA